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Following the Scholars
Question and answer from Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen
Question
What is obligatory upon a Muslim, and in particular, those seeking knowledge
and making Da'wah, in regards to befriending scholars capable of performing
Ijtihaad - that is under the assumption that adhering to a group of scholars
who are capable of Ijtihaad is one of the obligatory means of adhering to the
Jama'ah?
Answer
I say, the obligation of the general public of the Muslim community is to
follow those scholars who are known to be abundant in knowledge, correct in
the Aqeedah (belief), and sound in their Manhaj (methodology). This is because
Allah says, which means:
"And ask Ahlul-Dhikr (people of knowledge) if you do not know"
And the scholars which I have just described are the "those in
authority" - those who have Allah mentioned about in the Qur'an, which
means:
"O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in
authority over you"
Because "...those in authority..." comprises two groups of people,
the first group being the scholars, and they are the primary object in this
aayah, and the second group are the rulers, those who implement the Shari'ah
of Allah over the slaves of Allah. The scholars are the people of
clarification, knowledge and guidance, and the rulers are the people of
implementation and jurisdiction.
So if the public were to take every person as one to be followed, following
him without investigating his knowledge, trust, manhaj and aqeedah then they
would split apart from one another and go astray. And this, meaning, this
division is what Allah has forbidden in more than one aayah of the Qur'an.
Allah says, which means:
"It has been legislated for you in the religion that Nuh (Noah) was
ordered with, and that which We revealed to you, and what We ordered Ibrahim
(Abraham) with and Musa (Moses) and 'Eesaa (Jesus) - (the command) Establish
the religion and do not divide therein."
And Allah says, which means:
"And do not divide or you will fail and you will loose your
strength"
And Allah says, which means:
"And do not be like those who divided and differed after the clear
evidence came to them, for them is great punishment"
And Allah says, which means:
"Those who split up their religion and became sects, you have nothing to
do with them, their affair is only with Allah, then He will inform them of
what they used to do."
To Allah belongs all Praise, the ways and means of communication have become
many. So now it is possible for a person living in the East to call one
in the West in just one second, and then ask him for whatever he needs. So the
evidence has been established and the information has become clear. So beware,
beware of division - and I say division not differing, for there is no escape
from differing. Because people have disagreed in understanding, knowledge,
imaan and taqwa. So if the people disagreed in these four subjects then how
much more so differing in opinions. The only thing which requires guard
against is differing of hearts, and the abandoning of each other, until the
end result is that people accuse others of misguidance, and of innovation, so
beware and be warned.
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